Decorate traditional machine-pieced blocks with appliqué flowers and hearts to create this striking quilt in romantic shades
Designed and made by YASMEEN K BRANTON (www.sandandstars.co.uk)
APPLIQUÉ & PIECED PROJECT
Cutting out
1 Start by pressing all of your fabric, ready to mark and cut out.
2 From the twenty-four (24) light and dark fat quarters, pair up the dark and light fabrics into twelve (12) sets to create a good contrast – each block will use two (2) fat quarters, one (1) light and one (1) dark. Cut the following, keeping the contrasting cut pieces in their sets.
3 From each of the dark fabric fat quarters, subcut two (2) 7in squares (for the Hourglass units), one (1) 8⅝in square (for the HST units) and four (4) 3in squares (for the Square in a square units).
4 From each of the light fabric fat quarters, subcut two (2) 7in squares (for the Hourglass units) and one (1) 8⅝in square (for the HST units).
5 From the light cream fabric, cut the following:
■ Seven (7) 8½in x WOF strips. Join together end to end and subcut into the following:
– Two (2) 79½in length panels (for the long borders).
– Two (2) 47½in length panels (for the short borders).
■ Seven (7) 1½in x WOF strips.
Join end to end and subcut into the following:
– Two (2) 1½in x 63½in sashing strips.
– Nine (9) 1½in x 15½in sashing strips.
■ Two (2) 5½in x WOF strips, subcut into twelve (12) 5½in squares.
Making the blocks
The Hourglass units
6 To make an Hourglass unit, draw a line diagonally from corner to corner on the wrong side of one (1) 7in light fabric square (Fig 1A). Place and pin right sides together with one (1) 7in dark fabric square (Fig 1B). Sew ¼in away on either side of the drawn line, then cut along the drawn line to create two (2) HSTs (Fig 1C). Set the seam with a steam iron and press the seams open towards the dark fabric (Fig 1D).
7 Next, place the HSTs right sides together, making sure that the fabric colours are opposite and the seams are nesting. Draw a line perpendicular to the seam (Fig 1E) and sew ¼in on either side of the drawn line (Fig 1F). Cut along the drawn line and press open (Fig 1G).
Finally, square the unit to 5½in square – you should now have two (2) Hourglass units (Fig 1H). Repeat to create two (2) more Hourglass units – giving you four (4) in total.
The HST units
8 To make the HST units, place a 8⅝in dark fabric square and a 8⅝in light fabric square right sides together. On the wrong side of the light square draw two (2) diagonal
